Anthem of the Angels
by Ice and Thunder
Summary: "Sing the Anthem of the Angels, and say the last goodbye... Gramps..." 4th Entry for The World of Fairy Tail Writing Challenge!


Anthem of the Angels

**Hey guys, what's up? This is another challenge, a heartbreaking one. I always feared this moment in the Fairy Tail episodes and manga, hoping it would never come. Only when I read what we had to do for the challenge, this is exactly what came to mind. I don't own anything, but my imagination.**

**Enjoy! (Hope you cry, cause that means my story is successful!)**

**-(^_^)-**

Silence spread like wildfire as she entered the guild hall, standing where he once stood. Everyone scanned her face, looking for any sign of emotion, or at least something that could prepare them for the worst case. Yet, she refused to show anything but a blank expression. When she raised her head to speak, some saw a sparkle in her eyes, one of sadness, as she said the following: "Dear mages of Fairy Tail, or as your late master would say, dear children…" Many eyes widened, and tears stung. "I am sorry to say this, but… Your master- no, your parent, has passed away to the next world." And with that, she left, right before anyone could see her break down in tears, her red cloak flowing behind her.

-(^_^)-

Clad in black, everyone stood in front of the coffin in the pouring rain, which contained the deceased master. Even Porlyusica was there, just like Jellal. Other guilds were gathered too, the guild masters and wizard saints at the front, including Warrod Sequen. No one was able to hold back their tears for the old, happy man that liked a good drink and a nice party. He would definitely be missed: He brought life to the party, after all. And now even the magic council showed up, and everyone watched as they themselves paid their respects to the old troublemaker.

Some of the members of the guild couldn't bear it, but luckily they still had each other. Gray was being held by Juvia. If one glanced at them, they'd think it was Juvia leaning on Gray, but for the ones that looked close enough, the sight of Juvia holding Gray was given, his head resting on hers. Gray had known the old geezer since he was a kid. He remembered how he arrived at the guild, remembering that Ur told him once that many strong mages lived around this area. He was looking for someone who could lift the curse of the Iced Shell. Instead, he found Gramps telling him it was impossible, and letting him join the guild. As for Juvia, she hadn't known him for as long as Gray, but she still loved him like the father she never had. He let her and Gajeel join, even after all the trouble she caused them.

Erza was being held by Jellal, who went unnoticed by his disguise of Mystogan. She cried into his shoulder, and he held her with an aching heart, knowing that was all he could do for now to help his childhood friend. To her, he hadn't just been the master of the guild. He'd been a father and grandfather to her. He'd given her a place to stay, something to do for a living, and all just because he had been befriended with her savior: Grandpa Rob. He'd made sure Porlyusica-san fixed her eye again, and he'd always been there for her. To Jellal, the old man still had loads of favors to receive. He had helped Erza out, and besides that, he had even allowed Jellal, who was not even a member of the guild, to participate in the Grand Magic Games, just so he could check out the mysterious energy that felt like Zeref. Jellal was grateful to the old man.

The Strauss sibling held onto each other for comfort and support, crying their eyes out. The three siblings had always been alone, not being able to rely on anyone. The master had given them a home, and a family bigger than any other, when they needed it the most. The Raijinshuu cried just like the Strauss siblings, embracing each other.

Gajeel saw through teared up eyes how Jet and Droy were yelling at each other while crying, instead of holding Levy. He got mad, stomped over, and pulled the tiny bluenette into his muscular chest, allowing her to cry as much as she wanted. To her, Makarov had been a hero that got her off the streets. He had taken great care of her, and she could never repay him. As for Gajeel, he still remembered every detail of his talk with the old man as he came to visit him after the fight with Phantom Lord to invite Gajeel to his guild. Who would invite their former enemy? What made the old fool think he could trust Gajeel? He even gave him hope! _Hope._ Something Gajeel had lost long ago. And being reminded of how much the old man had done for him, Gajeel's tears streamed out of his eyes, silently hugging the Solid Script Mage tighter.

Wendy cried, cried like a child, just like when they had first met her. She had grown so much ever since, but now she cried her heart out. Only this time, everyone cried with her. The Exceeds were in her arms, hugging her and crying as hard as they could with her.

Natsu cried hardest of all, weeping like a baby. But he didn't care. He had already lost too much, and this might have been one of the hardest losses of all. He was continuously smashing his fists into the ground, not able to take the heavy loss, somehow hoping it was all one bad nightmare. The old man had raised him, had accepted Happy into the guild, given him a place to call home and people to call family, like so many others. The pain was too much to bear. But then he felt soft, gentle arms wrapping around his neck, and a head resting against his. He breathed in the wonderful scent of the blonde that was doing her best to comfort him, while crying herself. Coming back to his senses, he wrapped his arms around her, crying into her shoulder, while she did the same. Words weren't necessary, just knowing that they were there for each other was enough.

Even Gildarts had shown up, and was currently holding his crying daughter. The fifth guild master was continuously crying, apologizing over and over. His daughter had buried her face in his shoulder, but then glanced at the coffin. There stood the only person that hadn't cried yet, slowly stepping forward.

Laxus' expression was shocked, his eyes were wide. "Stop… joking… around…" He mumbled, his eyes widening even more. "Hey, Gramps… Come on, get up… Stop joking…" He whispered in a barely audible voice, thanks to the lump that had settled in his throat. "Hey, Gramps… Gramps. Gramps! Hey, you old fart! It's not funny anymore! Get the hell up!" Laxus started screaming at his late grandfather in the coffin, half expecting him to actually stand up and tell everyone it was just a stupid joke. Everyone would laugh and then go home. But that didn't happen, no matter how long he waited for a reply. He had returned from an S-Class mission as soon as he heard what had happened. But just when he got here, it was already too late. "Hey, wake up, you old bastard!" Laxus roared, yelling at the open coffin. Everyone stared at the Lightning Mage in shock: no one had expected Laxus to lose control of himself, even if it was his grandfather in the coffin. "Hey, I'm sorry if I've been such a bother, but this joke isn't funny anymore! Get the hell up, for fuck's sake!" Nothing. Not even a simple movement. Laxus stared at the coffin, his expression blank. Everyone stared at him, but all he could do was stare at the cold body of his grandfather, the man that had raised him, just like all the others, but to Laxus it was different. Laxus still felt the guilt of trying to take the guild. "Hey, Gramps, I don't want the guild, you know. You don't have to pretend. All I want is for you to just get up, alright?" Laxus tried again, a certain softness in his voice.

"_White walls surround us… No light will touch your face again…" _

Laxus turned around and stared at the owner of the voice.

"_Rain taps the window, as we sleep among the dead…"_

Her brown hair flowed behind her in the small, cool breeze that followed.

"_Days go on forever, but I have not left your side… We can chase the dark together, if you go, then so will I." _

The tears were still falling from her brown eyes, and she gave a small nod, the coffin being closed.

"_There is nothing left of you, I can see it in your eyes. Sing the anthem of the angels, and say the last goodbye…" _

She was now standing beside Laxus, taking his arm and wrapping her two own around it, leaning against him while she sang.

"_Cold light above us… Hope fills the heart, then fades away… Skin white as winter, as the sky returns to grey…" _

The coffin was slowly being lowered into the hole provided.

"_Days go on forever, but I have not left your side…" _And with that, she looked Laxus in the eyes. _"We can chase the dark together, if you go then so will I…" _

Cana stopped, starting to cry into Laxus' arm, but more voices continued in her stead. Mirajane, Lisanna, Lucy and Juvia started singing too. _"There is nothing left of you, I can see it in your eyes! Sing the anthem of the angels, and say the last goodbye!" _

Now Wendy, Elfman, Evergreen, Freed and Bickslow joined the singing.

"_I keep holding onto you, but I can't bring you back to life! Sing the anthem of the angels, and say the last goodbye!" _

The coffin landed, and the hole was slowly being covered.

"_You're dead alive…_

_You're dead alive…_

_You're dead alive…_

_You're dead alive…"_

Now everyone went silent to allow Cana to sing the next bit.

"_There is nothing left of you… I can see it in your eyes! Sing the anthem of the angels, and say the last goodbye!"_

Now everyone joined in again, accompanied by Levy, Jellal and Gildarts.

"_I keep holding onto you, but I can't bring you back to life! Sing the anthem of the angels, and say the last goodbye!_

_Sing the anthem of the angels, and say the last goodbye!_

_Sing the anthem of the angels…" _They finished together, the burial of Makarov now done.

-(^_^)-

Never before had the guild hall been so silent. The guild that once roared with laughter and partied every night, was threatening to waste away. The heavy loss was sinking into everyone, and not everyone could cope with it. Erza, for instance, hadn't shown herself ever since the funeral. Gray had come by a few times, but only briefly. Juvia tried her best to keep him company, and had gone on almost every job he went to. Gajeel and Levy were constantly holding each other, and had started a relationship. Natsu was staring at the same spot repeatedly, getting lost in his own thoughts continuously. Happy was on his shoulder, suffering from the same problem. Lucy was sitting in front of him, trying to keep his thoughts at their conversation. It seemed like no one would heal from this tragedy fully. Even Gildarts hadn't left, and was still here. But the one suffering most, was our blond, muscular Lightning Mage. Every single day, he sat in front of the grave, simply staring at it from dusk till dawn, and most of the times someone had to drag him away when it got too late. He refused to eat, and to sleep.

-(^_^)-

This continued until one certain day, about a few weeks later, Mirajane called for everyone's attention, holding a piece of paper. "Alright, has everyone gathered?" She asked, looking through the guild. Even Jellal was present, just like Porlyusica and Yajima-san. "Wait, where's Laxus?"

"Probably still at the grave…" Gildarts answered. "I'll go get him." Gildarts was about to leave, when a voice stopped him.

"Wait, I'll go too!" It yelled, causing Gildarts to stare at his daughter. But, the determination that flared in Cana's eyes told Gildarts that whatever he had to say, she'd just ignore anyway. So, he simply nodded, and the father-daughter duo left the guild.

…

Arriving at the graveyard, they indeed saw the blond sitting cross-legged in front of the grave, staring at it silently. His face was weak, and his body looked sloppy. They approached him, and Cana gently placed her hand on his shoulder. No reaction. "Laxus…" She tried. Still nothing. "Laxus, Mira has an important announcement to make. Let's head to the guild, alright?" She offered. She wasn't sure if Laxus had heard her, but if he had, he sure didn't show it.

Gildarts watched the scene, and knew what he had to do. He placed his own hand on Cana's shoulder, motioning with his head that she should give him some space. Cana agreed, wondering what he was up to as she stepped back. Gildarts took a hold of Laxus' sides, then threw the young man over his shoulder, motioning to his daughter that she should start walking. Laxus tried to struggle in Gildarts' powerful grip. "I swear to God, old man, if you don't let me go immediately, I'll-"

"You'll what?!" Gildarts cut him off sharply. "You're weak, Laxus. You haven't trained a single muscle in weeks! All you've been doing, is sitting in the same spot for weeks, staring at that grave! Yes, we know it hurts that he's gone, but we have to move, like he would want!"

Cana was surprised. She never thought her father could give a lecture like that. "He's right, Laxus. Everyone's getting worried about you." Cana added. Laxus didn't say a single word, simply staring at the ground with a blank, unreadable expression.

…

"Alright, has everyone gathered now?" Mirajane tried again, scanning the guild.

"We're complete." Macao told her, having counted them.

"Right. Guys, I was cleaning the Master's room the other day, and I found this…" She waved the piece of paper in the air. "It's a letter… From the master." Everyone stared at Mira, and even Laxus looked up.

"I'm going to read it out loud." She stated, before focusing on the piece of paper.

'_**My dear children,**_

_**If you are reading this, then that means I have probably passed on. A man gets old, and soon enough, he gets the feeling he's about to die soon. I wrote this letter just in case.' **_

Mira stopped reading, tears already streaming down her cheeks. She couldn't read on, so she looked at Lucy, and called her forward. "Lucy, could you please be so kind to continue?"

"M-Me?" Lucy asked, her own tears threatening to fall.

"Yes, please." Mira confirmed, holding the piece of paper out towards her. Lucy hesitantly stepped forward, while Mira took her place in the crowd, hugging Lisanna tightly. Lucy gulped, then continued where Mirajane left off.

'_**Please, don't cry when I'm gone. Stay strong. You all should live your lives like I have: with no regrets. Maybe the only regret I have, is that I didn't get to spend a lot of time with you all. But you guys will make it through this, especially with the new master I've chosen for you. Gildarts Clive is a grown, mature man, even if he can be a little childish. And I'm sure he would be more than happy to lead you as the seventh master of Fairy Tail. However, that is not where his heart lies. Therefore, I'm choosing Laxus Dreyar, my grandson, as the seventh master.' **_

Lucy paused, and just like everyone else, she stared at Laxus to study his expression. Laxus simply stared at her, his eyes wide yet again, his face showing how surprised he actually was. His eyes pleaded for Lucy to continue, and as she met his gaze, she obliged with a small nod.

'_**I'm sure that the young fool is more than capable to lead you. I only wish I could've seen his face. To Gildarts, I trust you to show Laxus the secret of our guild, the light and darkness of Fairy Tail. To the rest of my children, the next time we see each other in the Golden Grasslands, I will be listening to all your tales. But until that time, I want you to remember what Fairy Tail stands for. Raise your hand in the air, the back of it facing the front. Do it, now.' **_Lucy paused to do what the letter said, while everyone copied her movements. _**'Now, ball up your hand. Show me a fist.' **_She read, doing what it said. _**'And now stick your index finger and thumb out, and raise your arm as high as you can manage! We, my children, are Fairy Tail! We treasure our comrades, we hold onto our dreams and chase them, and whatever doesn't kill us, only makes us stronger! We are, and will always be, number one!' **_

Lucy finished, tears streaming down her face, keeping her arm in the position Makarov had instructed, the rest following her lead.

Laxus fell to his knees, his palms pressing against the ground, and for the first time, ever since the death of his grandfather, cried. He cried. Tears were falling from his eyes, and Cana kneeled beside him to give the man a hug. He buried his face in her shoulder and cried, accepting the comforting hug. And now, she knew, he could finally let it go.

Someone coughed in the doorway, and everyone saw Doranbolt standing there, wiping his tears away with the sleeve of his arm. "S-Sorry to interrupt, but Laxus Dreyar has been called to the council."

-(^_^)-

Laxus stood in front of the magic council, and nine of the Ten Wizard Saints. "Laxus Dreyar, grandson of Makarov Dreyar, you have been called to the council for a specific offer. I'll get straight to the point. Your grandfather's death has left an open spot in the Ten Wizard Saint, and since you were able to defeat Jura Nekis, we offer you that spot. We offer you to take the place of your grandfather in the Ten Wizard Saints, do you accept?"

Laxus stared with wide eyes again, before giving a slow nod. He would take his grandfather's place, and make him proud. Because that, my dear readers, is the way of Fairy Tail!

**-(^_^)-**

**There we go! My parents are gonna shout at me for staying up for so long, so I can't add everything I want to, but I still think it turned out beautifully, even if I do say so myself. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this sad story! I definitely enjoyed writing it.**

**See ya!**

**-Sirev**


End file.
